Once a Silverwing, Always a Silverwing
by 13bookworm
Summary: Back when Frieda was young, she was an outcast because of the band on her wrist. Her only friend was her grandfather, the head elder of the Silverwing colony. But a young bat, by the name of Achilles, will change that forever when the "The Joining" occurs. Now, thanks to Frieda and Achilles there's a rebellion against the law, and war is on the brink.
1. Chapter 1

Every one hundred years, the colonies would all join at a colony nursery, this was known as "The Joining". Elders would discuss the laws of the forest, and remind everyone why they're forced to stay in the safety of the night. Still some newborns and the younger bats would try to break these rules, but none would succeed, their mothers or other members of the colony, would stop them. For those who did succeed, they were never seen again.  
This time "The Joining" took place at the Silverwing nursery. Among the Silverwing colony was one bat who was different from all the others. She had a thin metal band wrapped around her fore arm, since just before her first migration. The Humans put it on her, when she was captured in some sort of web. Bats would tease her saying that the only reason she wasn't banished from the colony was because her grandfather was head elder. This bat was known as Frieda Silverwing. Although she was tortured by other bats, mostly ones who had been newborns when she was, she was also the fastest flyer and the best hunter in the colony.  
Other colonies thought the metal bands were cursed and banished any member of the colony who had one. Frieda thought that she was just lucky. "Frieda, you must hide your band from the other colonies," Ornus, her grandfather, said to her. She nodded slowly, she felt ashamed of the band, and thought her grandfather was ashamed of it too. Ornus noticed the sadness in her, "It's only so they don't ask questions,". Frieda wished "The Joining" wouldn't happen, she wished they could just migrate to Hibernaculum now. She even asked her grandfather if she could migrate early, she'd migrated twice before and had the sound map, but he wouldn't let her.

The next night she awoke early, the sun had just gone down, the stars were barely out. Frieda went out side and roosted on an outer branch of the dead tree. Moments later Ornus silently roosted beside her, so quiet she barely even noticed. He was almost invisible in the night, with his dark fur with patches of graying fur and silver streaks. They were silent for several moments until Ornus said, "You look so much like your mother,".  
Frieda and her mother didn't talk after she got the band. Her mother, Falla, only talked to her the first migration, but then they grew apart. Falla hated the band, and wanted nothing to do with it, but Frieda was bound to it and she thought there was nothing she could do to help their relationship.  
Her father on the other hand talked to her but that was only during the migration when the colony was actually with the males. Pon, her father, didn't care about the band, she was his daughter and that's all she was to him. Not an outcast, not a freak, just Frieda. She wished she looked more like her father, so she wouldn't be a constant reminder of her mother. They were never with the males very long, so her only real friend was her grandfather. Head elders were allowed to stay with whom ever they please, he could stay with the females or the males.  
Frieda said nothing in reply to Ornus's statement. "You'll have to talk to each other at some point," he continued.  
"But she wants nothing to do with me and besides what would we talk about? I mean, she knows nothing about me and I know nothing about her," she argued.  
"Then that's where you'll start!" Ornus exclaimed. Frieda let out a sigh and stared up at the moon. "You know what the problem is?". She turned towards him, hoping for a reasonable answer. "You're not even trying, you're not trying to make things better between you two. Your father has tried, I've tried, but not you!".  
"How can I? She won't even look at me, let alone talk to me. To her it's like I don't even exist!" Frieda argued.  
"Then if she won't talk, make her listen! If she doesn't do at least that, then you can give up,".  
Frieda fell silent, she only wished there was someway to make Falla listen. "If I try this and it doesn't work, then I can give up and let her shut me out of her life,".  
"If that's what you wish then yes," Ornus replied. Frieda sighed. "But if she does listen, promise me that you won't give up on her. This band was clipped to your arm for some reason, but I know it wasn't put there to create a wall between the two of you".

Ornus looked up to see many bats approaching, the Graywing colony. "Now Frieda, remember what I said about your band," Ornus stated. Frieda nodded and hid her band, just as an older bat approached.  
"Ornus my good friend, how have you been?" the bat asked.  
"Just fine, Alzar. You?".  
"Wonderful. How long has it been, four years?". Graywings and Silverwings had a similar migration route, and they sometimes spent a night or two roosting together.  
Another Graywing approached, this surprised Frieda. "This is my grandson Achilles, he had been born that next spring,". Achilles was strong, and had large wings, his fur wasn't as dark as Frieda's though.  
"This is my granddaughter Frieda, she was born two springs after,".  
"She is very lovely, and I'm glad to meet her," Alzar replied. Frieda was a little uncomfortable now.  
"I assume your colony had a safe travel,".  
"Nothing more than a light thunder-storm,".  
The two went on, but Frieda didn't bother to listen. She soon noticed Achilles watching her. Her stomach began to feel fluttery, she simply thought it was from hunger. Their eyes met, his pale eyes, and her's dark. She shook her head and leaped off the branch, and went to hunt.


	2. Chapter 2

Frieda flew threw the air, scouring the area around her, searching for tiger moths. She finally spotted one distantly below her. As she began to dive down towards it she felt dozens of eyes watching her. Frieda saw out of the corner of her eye moonlight reflecting off her band. Her stomach began to feel jumbled, as did her thoughts. She became self-conscious and focused on the thought of everyone's eyes watching her.

Now that she wasn't paying attention, she began to tumble through the air. Quickly realizing what was happening, she extended her wings to balance herself. In doing so she was also able to catch the tiger moth in her mouth. That moment she had been lucky, but she didn't want to draw even more attention to herself. So she quickly food a branch of an empty tree and roosted to eat her catch.

She cracked the shell of her moth and savored its delicious flavor running down her throat. That had been her sixth one that night, and she had to agree that this one had to have been the tastiest. Frieda was the only bat, besides her grandfather and a few others, who could catch a tiger moth.

All was quiet and Frieda had an almost full stomach. She enjoyed these quiet moments by staring up at the moon. It was, in her eyes, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Its glow was the best part.

When she was younger, she wondered how far away it was and how long it would take to get there. She had even tried it a few times, but could never get very far before the sun came up.

Frieda let out a satisfied sigh.

That was all when she had been a newborn though, before she had gotten her band. Trying to reach the moon drew too much attention, and she had gotten plenty of attention with her band now. In fact, she was tired of all the attention. Everyone always watched her, thinking something was going to happen to her because of the band.

It had always been rumored that a wearer of the band would suffer a horrible fate. Some say one bat's whole wing fell off and another's burst into flames. Sometimes Frieda wished that would happen to her. Nobody liked her anyway so what was the point.

Suddenly voices could be heard, not the distant ones she was used to hearing, but voices that were growing closer. Three, maybe four of them, each owned by bats her own age. One of them sounded very familiar. Fear coursed through her, would they see her? She didn't want them too, she was tired of hiding her band.

Three bats came into view, she recognized two of them as Achilles and Bathsheba. Bathsheba constantly found ways to embarrass her or make her shunned by the other bats of the colony. She always pointed out her band and reminded everyone that the bands were cursed. Frieda strongly disliked her, she couldn't say hate, but she was almost to that point.

Aside from trying to ruin Frieda's nonexistent social life, Bathsheba was very bossy. She always ordered everyone around, even tried it on Ornus, but that didn't end well. Frieda constantly wondered how she had any friends, but then again she didn't have a band. So she already had the upper hand.

Bathsheba's fur was dark but not as dark as Frieda's. Unlike Frieda she was on the heavier side. Achilles appeared even stronger and more handsome amongst the trees being lit up by the moon. Frieda snapped at herself for thinking such a thing about a male, a Graywing especially. The other bat, a female, seemed odd to her. She had more of a tail than any bat Frieda had ever seen. Her fur was pale but her body was large along with her wings, definitely larger than a Silverwing. Not as large as a Graywing though.

Frieda waited for them to pass by but they roosted in a tree across the way. Great now she would miss out on precious hunting time waiting for them to leave. Their voices continued to ring out across the forest. After a few moments Frieda decided to listen to what they were saying.

"What's that your fourth tiger moth tonight?" the long tailed bat asked gleefully.

"Yep, that's the record for the entire Graywing colony, held by yours truly," Achilles boasted.

Frieda laughed a moment, to her four wasn't all too impressive. She had been able to catch that many since she was a newborn. A Graywing being able to catch four probably took longer to master.

"That's the best any bat has ever done in catching a tiger moth. No Silverwing is anywhere near as fast as you," Bathsheba stated.

That was a lie and Bathsheba knew it. Frieda was much faster than any Silverwing, and had definitely held a record far greater than four. This angered Frieda a little, but then again what did she expect this was Bathsheba. The bossy, know it all bat of the Silverwing colony.

"I'm sure there's someone with a record greater than mine in the Silverwing colony. Your narrow wings must make you faster?".

Bathsheba shook her head. "Nope, I bet your record is the best in every bat colony!".

Flirting, Frieda hated it so much, but she saw it constantly. No male ever talked to her besides her father and grandfather, that didn't really count though. She had the sudden urge to leap into the air and fly away, not caring whether they saw her or not. Frieda didn't plan on her dinner making any second appearances.

A tiger moth appeared near the lower branches of some of the nearby trees. She wasn't fully satisfied with her hunger yet, and the last one had been so good. Just thinking about it made her mouth water. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, the temptation was over powering her, and she leaped into the air. Catching the moth was a breeze as she scooped it up in her mouth and flew to a nearby branch.

As she devoured the tasteful tiger moth she realized that she no longer heard the voices. Frieda glanced over to the branch they had roosted on, but only Bathsheba and the tailed bat were there looking back at her. Where was Achilles? Oh it didn't matter, and why should she care. She had a delicious tiger moth to eat.

Frieda turned away from Bathsheba and the other bat. She jumped when she came face to face with Achilles, who was staring at her upside down from the branch above.

"Well, you're a jumpy one!".

"Not usually, I'm not used to anyone hanging above me waiting to scare me,".

"I wasn't trying to scare you,".

"Oh really?".

"Honest,".


End file.
